Encarnacion suffers minor setback in recovery

Blue Jays slugger shut down for few days; Reimold likely back soon

NEW YORK -- Blue Jays designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion has suffered a minor setback in his recovery from a right quadriceps injury and will be shut down for the next few days.

Encarnacion felt some tightness while working out at the club's Minor League complex in Dunedin, Fla., on Friday. He was in the process of coming back from a strained quad that was sustained during a series in Oakland on July 5.

"Eddie had a little setback in Florida," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons revealed Saturday morning. "He's a little bit tender, so we're going to back him off for a few days. ... He was feeling it when he was twisting, the torque in his swing."

The setback isn't considered serious, but it is yet another blow to a team that has been ravaged by injuries for the past month and a half. Encarnacion was nearing a return and there seemed to be hope that he would rejoin the Blue Jays next week in Boston or Houston.

That no longer appears possible as Encarnacion isn't expected to resume working out on the field until at least Monday or Tuesday. The longer Encarnacion goes without playing, the more likely it also becomes that he will require a brief rehab stint in the Minors.

A rehab assignment was something the club was hoping to avoid, but that no longer seems realistic. The Blue Jays have yet to announce a defined timetime for Encarnacion's return, but it's hard to envision him playing on this road trip, which doesn't wrap up until Aug. 3 in Houston.

The injury news is better for outfielder Nolan Reimold, who is on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left calf muscle. Reimold is eligible to come off the DL on Sunday and it sounds like he will soon rejoin his teammates.

Reimold will not require a rehab stint. One logical scenario would see Reimold activated before Toronto's series opener in Boston on Monday. The Blue Jays are expected to drop a reliever to make room for Reimold on the 25-man active roster.

"Within the next few days," Gibbons said when asked about Reimold's return. "He's probably feeling better than any of them."